When Death Calls
by leiasky
Summary: FAM Zorro. When Zorro falls down a cliff, everyone presumes him dead. Felipe reveals the secret cave to a distraught Alejandro and Victoria. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Title: When Death Calls

Rated : PG-13

Synopsis: When Zorro falls down a cliff, everyone presumes him dead. Felipe reveals the secret cave to a distraught Alejandro and Victoria.

Misc. Info: This story was written many years ago but I have since revised and edited it.

Updated : 9/05

Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.

* * *

When Death Calls

Prologue

The sun was setting behind the vast ocean as two pairs of eyes gazed out into the horizon. The waning light cast an eerie glow upon the waves rippling before them. The wind blew their clothing about them causing her to shiver in the unaccustomed breeze.

"The wind is usually strongest along the shoreline," Zorro wrapped his cape around her shoulders and rubbed them, removing the chill.

She leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, warming her body further. He pressed a kiss to her temple, lips sliding to her cheek when she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"The meal was wonderful." He shot a quick glance at the empty bottles and plates they had cleaned earlier in the evening. "You are the best cook in the territory."

"I love to cook for you." She smiled invitingly at him. "I wish you gave me more of an opportunity."

"Oh, you do every day," he grinned and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth when she shot him a confused look.

"Ah, " she nodded, her eyes narrowing, "is that a hint?"

He smiled a bit nervously. He wanted so badly for her to know his secret. But it just wasn't safe. And he was more than a bit afraid she would be disappointed when she did find out.

He could express himself more comfortably with the mask covering his identity. He just hoped that when it finally came time to reveal his secret that she would not be upset or angry at his deception. Her rejection would kill him quicker than Toledo steel through the heart.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth and whatever question she'd been poised to ask died on her lips. She turned quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

He inhaled sharply and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, taking in the beautiful fresh smell of her skin, the taste of the wine still lingering on her lips.

His body reacted to her more than it ever had and he longed to take her into his arms and make her his forever - even without the bonds of marriage. Overlooking the beautiful ocean, with only their love and the sound of the waves crashing against the beach to comfort them, he slowly leaned her back against the blanket that they sat on, his body shielding her from the winds that whipped along the coastline.

Zorro trailed long fingers down her neck and over her bare shoulders, his lips repeating the journey as he explored her delicate skin.

Victoria's hands rested lightly against his chest as his slid in her hair, pulling her lips closer to his own.

He finally broke the kiss struggling to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

Victoria rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart thudding sharply and wondering if he could feel her own erratic heartbeat.

She took a deep breath and pressed her lips to the bare skin at the base of his neck that his shirt did not cover.

She could feel him shiver and that excited as well as unnerved her. She could feel the heightened attraction their closeness caused and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to surrender her innocence to him. She'd dreamed of it, but sense of honor up until now had truly prevented that final act.

"The stars are especially bright tonight," he smoothed her hair.

Victoria settled against his side, resting her head on his shoulder so she could look up at those same stars. His black cape did not keep away the chill as much as her closeness to him sent enveloping tendrils of warmth throughout her body.

"Yes they are, " she agreed.

Victoria pondered over what it was about this man with whom she had completely fallen in love. One whom she only saw rarely and whose identity she didn't even know. But she knew, somehow, that he was the correct choice for her, no matter how long she had to wait to be with him. She had realized that, with absolute certainty, on the day that she had almost married Juan Ortiz.

The man would have been an excellent husband and could have provided well for Victoria. But when the time came for her to vow eternal devotion and love to the man for life, she found that she could not willingly speak the vows that would bind her to her childhood sweetheart for life.

And she had not regretted that decision in the years that had followed. She longed with all her heart and soul to be with the man she loved, but she also understood that his crusade against injustice in the pueblo was not over and until it was, they would have to live lives separate from one another.

Silence drifted over them as they watched the twinkling stars overhead. Each was lost in their own thoughts, undeniably thoughts that centered on their future.

He constantly repeated his promise to her and he could only hope she was comforted by his words. He simply wrapped his arms securely around the young woman and as he stared at the stars.

Very soon, they were both fast asleep in one another's arms.

The sound of hoof beats startled the masked man out of his slumber and he sat up quickly, fighting to get his bearings.

He had fallen asleep on the cliff with Victoria! Out in the open where anyone could have seen them! He cursed his carelessness and stood quickly. Victoria was awake now, shaking the momentary confusion out of her head, as he attempted to lift her onto Tornado's back.

Soldiers raced over the ridge and rushed the masked man before he could climb into the saddle behind Victoria.

Gunshots echoed around them, startling the stallion and he reared, nearly throwing Victoria to the ground. Hooves came crashing down as a lancer neared, throwing the man off balance and to the ground with a hard thud.

Shots bounced at the masked man's feet as he frantically avoided being hit. What he didn't realize, was how close the edge of the cliff was as he backed away from the lancers. As he noticed the last lancer discharge his rifle, Zorro steeled himself to charge at the men. He stopped in his tracks as De Soto and Mendoza came over the ridge, De Soto pointing the pistol directly at the man in black.

Fortunately the lancers were terrible shots, but the alcalde was a different matter. He was fairly good with a rifle and even better with a pistol.

A strong left hook flattened the nearest lancer to the ground and Zorro turned toward the rapidly advancing alcalde.

Zorro barely had time to react before the pistol discharged. He grasped at his leg as the bullet struck him causing him to loose his already precarious balance on the edge of the cliff.

Dirt and rock tumbled down the hillside and into the crashing waves. The dirt beneath Zorro's feet suddenly gave way and he dropped his blade to reach for anything along the edge of the cliff that would slow his fall.

Tornado whickered and shook his head, careful to not throw the rider off his back.

"No!" Victoria cried as she saw her masked love slide down the cliff wall with nothing to prevent him from falling.

"Tornado, go home!" Was the last thing Victoria heard as the masked man disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

The stallion raced off with its rider clutching the reins and the saddle horn tightly, her knuckles white with fear. She protested but could do nothing to pull the strong stallion off course.

Tears streaked her face, blown by the wind, as the stallion galloped off towards the only home he knew...the de la Vega hacienda.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Zorro clawed frantically at anything that could possibly slow his descent. Sand and foliage slid through his fingers. There was nothing to hold, nothing to grasp, as he slid closer and closer toward certain death below.

Sharp rocks cut his fingers, and battered his body as he slid rapidly downward. His leg was numb and he realized, with dismay, that the rest of him would be too as soon as he hit the jagged rock.

A bruised and bleeding hand finally caught the tip of a jutting rock abruptly stopping his descent. His weight on the rock caused it to loosen and the dirt dislodged from the movement slid into the water causing it to bubble.

He breathed deeply, willing the pain in his leg and extremities away so that he could think. He was only able to gather a few thoughts before the rock gave way and he tumbled with a loud cry into the white water below.

* * *

"Madre de Diós," Mendoza crawled to the cliff edge searching the darkness for any sign of movement below.

"Finally," De Soto hooted in satisfaction, "we are rid of him."

"I don't see anything," Mendoza offered.

De Soto turned his head toward the Sergeant. "And we would not render help if you did see something."

"But alcalde..."

"Enough!" the immensely satisfied man raised his fist to silence Mendoza. He turned to the lancers gathered around to see if Zorro still lived and ordered. "Mount up. I want that stallion!"

As De Soto mounted Mariposa, he chuckled. "We'll return tomorrow to look for the body."

* * *

Victoria barely recognized the de la Vega hacienda through the haze of tears that blocked her vision.

The stallion brought her up to the front door and whickered, shaking his head and pawing at the ground.

Victoria stared bewildered at the gates. _Hadn't Zorro told Toronado to go home?_ _Why had the stallion brought her here?_ She glanced toward the door as it opened to reveal a very startled Felipe. Alejandro stood behind the boy, rubbing sleepy eyes. They widened quickly upon seeing Toronado standing at his front door, an obviously frightened Victoria clutching his reins. Concern for Victoria's safety and for the masked man that was nowhere in sight, hastened his need to get to the lovely señorita and he was at the stallion's side in an instant.

As Felipe grasped Toronado's reins, Alejandro rested a hand on the boy's arm. "Be careful. He is a wild..."

Felipe nodded sheepishly but did not pull away, and Alejandro was amazed the stallion did not rear.

Alejandro quickly pulled Victoria from the saddle and carried her into the hacienda where she immediately came to her senses and stared wildly at the elder de la Vega. She clutched at his hands, shaking her head, willing the words to come out in a cohesive, understandable sentence.

"Zorro, he...!"

"Calm down, Victoria. Sit and tell me what happened." Alejandro pulled her to sit with him on the sofa as a sleepy housemaid brought a cool glass of juice for her to drink.

Before she could say anything, he grasped her hands in his own, rubbing them. "You're freezing."

"Zorro fell off the cliff by mesa verde, we were having dinner when the lancers came and..." she stopped to catch her breath, "Oh, Don Alejandro, we must do something. He could be hurt or..."

She stopped to wipe the tears that refused to stop spilling from her big, brown eyes.

Alejandro looked up and out the window. "It's dark, my dear. We would not be able to see anything. We will go out at first light." Alejandro embraced the shaking woman and allowed her to cry, murmuring incoherent fragments, until she fell into a fitful slumber.

Alejandro closed his eyes as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He whispered, "God help us all. Please don't let him be dead." He rocked Victoria like a sick child, murmuring words of comfort into her ear. By the time Alejandro realized that he'd forgotten all about Felipe, the boy was gone.

* * *

He floated atop the ocean waves as they splashed against the rocks until he could no longer keep his head above water. His body was battered and bruised and he knew he was weakening even faster due to blood loss. A million thoughts rushed through his mind and he suddenly accepted that he was going to die. There was no way out of danger for the unbeatable Zorro this time.

One thought stood out above all others; his desire for the woman he loved to know his true identity. He wished he had been able to express his true feelings as himself rather than just from behind a mask. Regret at causing her pain rushed through his blood. His death would cause her pain. But – at least she would be free to love another, rather than trapped by a promise to love and wait until his crusade against oppression had ended.

He hadn't the strength to swim against the current, and the jagged rocky ledge, against which the waves were relentlessly thrusting his body, was too steep and sharp to climb.

The pain that jolted through him with each lurch of the waves inched him closer to unconsciousness and he thrust his head out of the water one last time with one last cry.

"Victoria!"

No one was around to hear the cry or see the man's body pushed against the slick rocks one last time before sliding like a dead weight beneath the water.

* * *

When the first light filtered through the hacienda windows, Victoria was awake instantly and ready to ride out to the cliff to look for her masked love.

"Take it easy. I don't think ..." Alejandro knew better than to try and stop the determined woman. So he followed her out to his stables where she promptly took a bridle and attempted to tack a horse herself.

"Victoria let me do that." Alejandro took the bridle from her trembling hands and slid it onto the Andalucian's neck.

When Felipe hurried into the stables, Alejandro called to him." Felipe, make sure Diego knows where we have gone. Victoria wants to leave now and I need to go with her. Please wake Diego and have him meet us at mesa verde."

He didn't notice that Felipe didn't nod. Didn't notice the frightened look and the dark circles beneath the exhausted boy's eyes.

Alejandro didn't know that Felipe had gotten no sleep the night prior as he had searched for his friend. When Felipe returned, just before first light, he had sat up crying for the loss of a man he had thought of as a father.

He took Tornado back to his stall, brushed and cleaned him and sat wondering how he was going to tell Alejandro that his son would not be waking up this morning or any morning in the future. He waited for a few hours, saddled his pinto and rode out to the mesa in search of Alejandro and Victoria.

Felipe found them sitting on the ledge overlooking the beautiful ocean. Victoria had piled broken dishes, plates and silverware in a cloth around her. She had gathered what the lancers, in their haste to capture Zorro, had broken and destroyed – what was left of the beautiful dinner they had shared.

Alejandro looked up as Felipe approached and his eyes narrowed. "Where's Diego?"

Felipe didn't answer and he dismounted quickly walking over to his patron and signing slowly so that the man could understand. The elder de la Vega was not as good at reading hand signals as Diego was and therefore Felipe had to remember to sign so that Alejandro would understand him.

"Felipe, what is going on?" Alejandro demanded when the information he was getting from Felipe were not what he wanted to hear.

They were interrupted by the sound of hoof beats coming over the ridge.

Victoria stared at the approaching lancers with contempt and hatred in her eyes. Those men had been the cause of Zorro's death and her eyes shot daggers in de Soto's direction as he appeared at the head of his lancers.

"This area is under our jurisdiction and you are obligated to divulge any information on the whereabouts of Zorro." De Soto dismounted his horse.

Victoria stood and immediately, launched herself at him.

Only Alejandro's intervention prevented her from striking the man across the face.

"That would have been a mistake, Señorita." De Soto held up a warning finger. "After all, there is no longer a Zorro to free you from my jail should I choose to arrest you for attacking a military official."

"What do you want, Alcalde?" Alejandro ignored the smug look the alcalde shot at Victoria.

"I want to know what Señorita Escalante did with that black stallion she rode out of here last night." .

"Toronado took me to the de la Vega hacienda and ran away." She lied, glaring malevolently at the alcalde.

"Ah, of course." The alcalde clasped his hands together and stared at Alejandro. "If my men find that stallion in your corral, you will be arrested for providing sanctuary for a wanted criminal."

* * *

The water sloshed lazily over the man, the coldness waking him from his forced slumber. He moaned and clutched at his head hoping the dizziness would pass. He rolled over onto his back and looked around the small cavern. It was dark but there was a streak of light filtering through rock and into the cave. He tried to sit but the pain in his side and arms, prevented much movement.

"What happened?" the man moaned, shaking his head. Pain shot through his head as he tried to lift it and he decided to just rest where he was. Receeding water lapped at his legs. With what little strength remained, he pulled himself up the embankment a little further and collapsed, exhausted and in great pain.

A few minutes later he braved the pain in his head and pushed himself into a seated position. His leg throbbed as he slowly remembered what had happened the night before.

As he had lost consciousness, the waves carried him into a small cavern. His body had been carried on the high tide and deposited here, atop this wet, sand packed mound.

He glanced down at his leg. It throbbed painfully but a tourniquet had been wrapped tightly around it to prevent further loss of blood. Zorro couldn't remember doing it, but, there was no indication that there was anyone else around, so he must have completed the task before completely losing consciousness.

With difficulty, and a wince at every movement, he removed his shirt and tore it into strips. He needed to find a way to bandage his injuries and this was the best he could think of at the moment. He wrapped his badly sprained arm with one, groaning in pain as he did so. With the rest he wrapped his bruised ribs.

After groaning in pain for several minutes he finally lifted himself onto his good leg and hobbled around the large cavern searching for a way out.

The light filtering though the cavern above was thin but the walls were too steep and slick with moss to even begin to climb. In the darkness, he stumbled over a large object half buried in the sand. He sank to his knees beside it and felt around the large wooden chest.

His hands came across the lock that was still hooked and, with a wince, he reached behind his back and un-sheathed his knife.

After a few minutes of searching the innards of the strangely designed lock, it finally snapped open and the man pulled the lock from its hinges.

Cutlasses and clothing were packed into the chest as Zorro searched through for anything that he might be able to use.

Inside there was a much smaller palm held chest that was locked as well. Zorro's knife was too big to pick that lock and he searched for a piece of wire or something small enough to open it. He shivered and realized that if he didn't get out of his wet clothes, he would become deathly chilled. And with the loss of blood and his injuries, his body was already weak. The clothes that he had taken out of the chest were remarkably dry. He had no idea how long they had been buried in the chest, but right now, wearing them was his only option.

He draped his torn black clothing, or rather, what was left of it, on a wall far away from the sloshing of the water. His strength finally giving out, he collapsed against the wall. With a heavy sigh, he lay with his head against the closed chest and fell into a deep, uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

As the alcalde and the lancers rode away, Alejandro turned to Felipe, "Now you were just about to tell me why Diego did not accompany you out here."

Felipe sighed and signed slowly that he would explain everything once they got back to the hacienda.

Victoria was lost in her own thoughts but Alejandro's eyes narrowed. Before he could comment further, Felipe was on his pinto and motioning for them to follow.

They took the remnants of the meal Victoria and Zorro had shared the previous night and put them into Alejandro's saddlebags.

As they neared the hacienda, Felipe waved one of the ranch hands over to take care of the horses. Alejandro found Felipe's behavior odd, as he was always the one who took care of the horses, but followed the young man when he motioned for them to continue to follow.

Alejandro could see the worry and the lines etched into the young man's features. He was suddenly overcome with a fear he had never before experienced.

Felipe signed slowly and Alejandro translated for Victoria. "You're sorry. For what, Felipe?"

Alejandro shook his head, not understanding. "You're sorry that you couldn't protect him. Keep him out of harms way? You're sorry you couldn't convince him to tell us his secret?" Icy fear spread through his blood and his mouth went dry.

Alejandro took the boy by the shoulders and stared at him, "Felipe, what does this have to do with Diego not following you out the mesa today to help in the search for Zorro?"

Felipe brought his hand to his heart, covered his eyes like a mask and pointed at Alejandro.

Alejandro chuckled and turned to a wide-eyed Victoria, who had understood Felipe's meaning a second prior.

"Because," Alejandro was almost afraid to translate aloud what Felipe had just said, "Diego **is** Zorro?"

Alejandro chuckled again and shook his head. "That is not possible. Felipe what is going –"

Alejandro stopped abruptly when Felipe turned around and depressed the lever hidden in the fireplace.

Victoria gasped and Alejandro snapped his mouth shut as Felipe stepped through the doorway and motioned for them to follow.

Alejandro's heart sank as they reached the end of the long passageway and stepped into the large room. He gazed disbelievingly at all of the things unmistakably belonging to his son.

Experiments littered the table, a journal, on the desk, lay open, as if someone had been in the midst of writing. Alejandro recognized the handwriting as belonging to his son. The final confirmation was the clothing draped across the stand – Diego's clothing. Clothing that he had been wearing the afternoon before.

"God in heaven." Alejandro sank against the desk, his heart beating so rapidly he thought it was going to beat through his chest.

Victoria took the news much more calmly. She strode over to the experiments bubbling on the counter and touched one she recognized. A smoke bomb that Zorro was fond of using against the lancers. She moved to the desk next, her slim fingers brushing over the soft leather cover of the journal. She, too, recognized Diego's handwriting. She flipped the pages back to the beginning, noting, without surprise, that there was no name written within.

She flipped to the next page, swallowing hard as her eyes scanned the written text. It chronicled the tale of how Diego's deception and masquerade as Zorro had begun. Victoria picked up the journal and held it to her chest as she roamed around the room.

She stopped at the clothing rack and lifted the easily recognizable jacket off the hook. Tears slipped from her eyes as she realized that she had not only lost the man she loved when Zorro had fallen over the cliff, but a friend as dear to her as a brother and , she realized with a sob, as close to her as a lover.

Felipe slid down a wall and cradled his head in his hands. When Alejandro knelt beside the boy, he noticed that he was crying, the tears sliding down his cheeks as he cried for his dead friend.

"Diós," Alejandro wiped away a solitary tear only to have it followed by a deluge of others, "how did he..."

Alejandro turned his head when he heard movement. He saw Victoria sink into the chair at the desk, his son's jacket now wrapped snugly around her shoulders. She opened Diego's journal and began to read . . .

The words brought to life the memories and the feelings that she had experienced when the events chronicled in the journal had taken place.

She, of all people, should have known. She should have seen the similarities between the two men. She'd been so blind! And now it was too late to show him how much she respected him for what he had done, how much she did truly love him.

She read the words written in his own hand...

_'She was more radiant than I had ever imagined. After fire years in Spain, I had seen the most finely dressed woman but none compared to Victoria's natural, graceful beauty. She had a strength and a countenance to which none could compare and I had to resist the urge to ask for her hand the minute I walked in the door._

_The alcalde was clearly out of his mind in his corruption of the people and I couldn't stand idly by and let him destroy what my ancestors struggled so hard to build. I had to find a way that I could combat the alcalde's actions without putting those I cared for in danger of persecution._

_With Felipe's help, I created an alternate persona. One where I could come and go as I pleased and the alcalde would know no better._

_The one thing I had not foreseen was falling so deeply in love with a woman I could never have. Well, at least not until my fight against the corruption and oppression had ended._

_So I had to love her as Diego de la Vega in secret and as El Zorro in public. The more time we spent together, the more I loved about her. Her fire and determination to do good for this pueblo in the face of such insurmountable odds was an aphrodisiac that no man in his right mind could ignore._

_The more time I spent with her the more careful I had to be. For she spent the most time with Zorro and Diego and she, if anyone, would be the first to see any similarities if I were to let my guard down for an instant._

_So I had to play the fool, take the brunt of the teasing and accusations, to protect this secret identity. I lost the respect of the two people who I o desperately wanted to see me for who I truly am, and I lost the woman I loved most in this world to a - fantasy. I soon found that I was at odds with myself, with my own emotions, with my own feelings._

_Chronicled in this journal is an account of Zorro's adventures that I wish to leave for future generations and hopefully, my children.'_

Victoria sobbed and slowly shut the book, unable to read more. He would not get the chance to tell his children the stories contained within this journal. She would never be able to bear him those children now

The world _would_ learn about Diego de la Vega's secret identity, she would make sure of it. And any future generations of her family as well as Alejandro's, would understand what risks this magnificently brave caballero went to protect his people from oppression.

TBC

**Thethirdtroll** - No, I can't be nice to Zorro. It's too fun to torture him. It makes for far more interesting stories….You not read any more? Muahaha. THAT will be the day. You really need to get a copy of the series so you can fall in love with it just like those of us who write did….you might even be inspired to write something yourself….

**WolfDaughter** – Thanks for the review. I'm glad you continue to like the stories. This is one I'd written five or so years ago but decided to dust it off, edit (in some cases heavily re-write) it a bit and repost.

**Beverly** – This may just end a bit different than the originally posted – it was never posted on just on various web sites - version of this story. Keep reading and thanks for the comments!


	3. Chapter 2

Notes: So here I thought this would be a nice, quick edit (since this was written years ago and I just decided to do a fast edit and post it) and it's turned into a far heavier re-write than I anticipated.

So, while my beta works on three other stories (no, not LOTR, thethirdtroll, yes, one of them is Shattered Dreams for the person who keeps begging me to update that one, Flesh and Blood, and a sequel to Trial By Fire), I'll keep posting chapters of this one. It hasn't been beta'd so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It was a few hours later that Zorro awoke again, better rested and able to get to his feet for short amounts of time. A deep chill had settled in his body and he knew he was feverish. What little energy he had, he spent digging through the large chest. Finding a heavy bladed cutlass, he glanced curiously at the small palm-sized chest, he closed the lid of the man-sized chest and placed the smaller one atop it.

With a quick, hard, flick of his wrist, he brought the hard steel blade down on the lock of the small chest, splitting it in two instantly. The clang of metal reverberated throughout the cavern and Zorro winced at the sound.

Setting the cutlass in the sand, Zorro knelt beside the smaller chest and slowly opened it. There was no gems or precious stones in the small chest like he had thought. nstead, there were dozens of small gold coins. In the dull light, he could not tell if these were Spanish minted or not.

The gold glittered in the dim light of the cavern and Zorro considered the good that could be done with the gold

He set aside the chest and searched more carefully for some indication of where these coins had come from. Hidden in a secret compartment beneath the gold coins there was a dried parchment barely readable but with an easily recognizable seal at the bottom.

It was a document from the King dated before he was born and addressed to a man named Serra. Zorro could not read the text on the paper as it had been smudged over the years but he was well educated in the history of Alta California and of the man Junipero Serra who had come to California to teach religion to the Indians. The churches and presidios along the Alta California coast all bore his name in some form or another. He had done a great deal of good in converting the Indians before he died in 1784.

From what Zorro could read, the coins had been sent from the King of Spain to one of the missions over which Father Serra had been presiding but they never reached their destination.

When he could get back to his cave and examine the old letter in more light with his microscope, perhaps he could recreate the text and be able to read exactly what it said.

Zorro put the letter back into the secret compartment and began to walk along the walls of the cavern. There was no way to climb out. The only way he could have gotten _in_ was from the water.

After a few minutes he was fatigued and the pain from his various could no longer be ignored. He sat down with his back against the wall and stared at the water. The tide must be out because the waterline was much farther away than the marks on the sand and rock indicated it had been previously.

As his eyes closed in exhaustion, he noticed that the water was darker in one place than it was in the others. His curiosity piqued, he moved toward the water, ignoring his protesting muscles. Shedding what clothing he wore, he stepped into the cool water and walked as far as he could before the water covered his head. It was very light in the cavern now and he only assumed that the sun was setting and casting it's glow into the cavern through the water.

Deciding it was better that he rest before he attempted to swim beneath the water, Diego emerged and donned the dry clothes. Lying with his head propped on his arms, he fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

Victoria had refused to leave the cave or put the journal down until she had finished reading it. Felipe and Alejandro brought her food and water but it had not been touched after hours of reading.

Alejandro slid over a chair and sat next to her, resting a heavy hand on her slim shoulder.

"Please Victoria, eat something. The journal will be here once you have finished." Alejandro had become accustomed to having his son gone for long periods of time but getting used to his only son being gone from his life permanently was something that would take longer to get used to.

He knew that Victoria had been adjusting in her own way and he was finding it so incredibly difficult to absorb the fact that his son had led a secret life. On top of his personal grief for the loss of his son, he was left to watch the woman his son obviously loved go through the same emotional turmoil.

She looked up at Alejandro, eyes wet with fresh tears. "I remember everything written in this journal so clearly." She sobbed. "Everything he said to me when we were alone, every action, every expression. I should have known. He gave me enough clues."

She held the open book to her chest and could not stop the tears. They wet the page and she quickly brushed the liquid off the page.

Alejandro nodded and fought back his own tears. He wanted to believe that his son was not dead. But he saw the cliff for himself. His son couldn't have survived the fall, not after Victoria told him Zorro had been shot before he fell. Alejandro resolved to be strong for Victoria's sake. For if his son had not been killed, eventually, he firmly believed, Victoria would have married into his family. Alejandro loved her like a daughter already and would treat her as such from now on.

They both turned when Felipe entered through the secret fireplace and reached for an old textbook on a shelf nearby. He opened the book and took the piece of parchment nestled between two pages of poems and both the book, and the parchment to Alejandro.

The older man quickly scanned the poetry before removing the letter. Victoria leaned over his shoulder and sobbed when she read the first line.

"He quoted that to me when we were caught in the rainstorm and had to spend the night in the windmill outside of the pueblo." She sobbed, running her fingers over the words as that night replayed in her mind.

'_And only your cool sweet lips will quench my burning desire.'_

_'Your smile almost quenches my burning desire….'_

She shook her head remembering the line Diego had quoted in the windmill and Zorro later on that same day. She should have known right there! He had given her the hint, whether intended or not. But because the two men were so completely different, she had dismissed the first thought that came to her mind – that her best friend and the man she loved so deeply were one in the same.

"I remember. I expected Diego to return that night with news but then it started to storm. I thought you stayed the night in Santa Paula."

"I think he wanted to kiss me that night." She said quietly. Memories of that night flashed through her mind and she forced herself to suppress a sob. She had come to look at Diego in a different light when he had stood up to the king's emissary and yet she could not put two and two together.

Even speaking with the emissary showed that he was determined to help the people of the pueblo in whatever manner he could…without, she now realized, compromising his identity.

She thought back to the many other times that he had provided hints as to his identity and she had dismissed them as completely as she had when he'd quoted the poem.

_"You should have a husband." _

_A hesitation. _

_"Someone like…Diego perhaps."_

Had he been testing her to see if she had any feelings toward Diego? If that was the case, she surely failed that test with her response.

She shook her head. So many clues and she had never put them together. She realized that she had cared for Diego but could have easily fallen in love with him had Zorro not entered her life.

"And I never told him that I loved him," she sobbed.

Alejandro's heart broke. He didn't know how to comfort her. He didn't know how to comfort himself.

"I'm sure he knew how you felt." Alejandro didn't know what else to say.

"Zorro knew that I loved him. Diego…."

Alejandro couldn't bear any more. "Victoria please eat something. You haven't eaten all day." He reached for the bowl of soup untouched on the desk and held it out to her.

She shook her head and lifted the journal to read where she had left off.

Alejandro sighed, set the bowl down and opened the letter that had been inserted between the pages of poetry.

It was from Diego. As he read further down the page he suppressed a gasp and Victoria tore her eyes from the text she was reading to see the tears begin anew down Alejandro's cheeks.

"It's ….a…will…."Alejandro sobbed, wiping the tears away only to be replaced by others that he had no more energy to stop.

* * *

When Zorro awoke, he was stiff and grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet. He knew he had to get out of the cavern and get his wounds properly treated. He was deathly cold despite his dry clothes.

He changed into his black pants, dropped the other clothes into the chest, and dove into the cold water before his aches and pains changed his mind for him.

After a few minutes of searching he found where the water was light and then dark again. Indicating the depth and hopefully the exit into the warm California sunlight.

* * *

"There is no sign of him, mí alcalde." Mendoza had been searching up and down the cliff side for Zorro's remains but there had been no sign of a body.

"The body must have washed out to sea," De Soto pulled at his beard, scowling, "And I wanted to have the distinct pleasure of ripping that mask from his body." De Soto glanced at the cape he held in his hand. "This will have to do."

Mendoza lowered his eyes reverently.

"Back to town," De Soto waved to the lancers still half-heartedly searching for Zorro's remains, and mounted Mariposa.

"Sí alcalde." Mendoza turned to the lancers and called, "Vamanos muchachos."

As they turned and mounted their horses, none of them noticed a small speck appear in the water far below.

Zorro struggled to stay above the water as the waves pushed him against the sharp rocks. He fought the waves as he treaded water until he was able to grasp an overhanging rock and pull himself mostly out of the water. He collapsed in complete exhaustion, needing to gather his strength before he attempted to climb the rest of the way up the cliff he had slid down the night before.

Darkness was settling behind the vast ocean and he moved behind the rock so that the strongest of the breezes would not hit him. He didn't want to sit there for the rest of the night, but he needed to gain more strength so that he could climb out of his predicament and get back home.

Home. He couldn't even begin to think about the explanation he was going to give his father for being gone so long. Not to mention returning with so many improperly treated injuries. He knew Felipe would come up with a reason for Diego's disappearance, and he would need to find out what that was before being seen. But Diego would need to come up with another believable reason for his injuries. He could not think clearly enough to come up with a suitable excuse and simply leaned heavily back against the rock and closed his eyes.

* * *

Victoria embraced Alejandro and held him tightly. This was the first time since they had learned Diego's secret that she had seen Alejandro cry, really cry for his son's death.

"He knew that this would happen someday," Alejandro broke from her tender embrace and stared at the young woman with eyes filled with tears. "This is a will dividing his possessions between Felipe and you, Victoria."

Felipe and Victoria exchanged mournful looks.

Alejandro finished reading the will and gave it to Victoria as he sat weakly into the chair she had just vacated.

She read over the parchment, drawn up and legitimized by the family lawyer, and couldn't help but hate herself for the way she had treated Diego in the past. They had always been friends, but she had never realized, until now, the depth of his feelings.

"I need to devise a reason for Diego's absence," Alejandro said flatly.

Victoria blinked and turned to stare at him. Felipe nodded slowly, remembering the times when he would have to come up with an excuse for Diego being gone. This time the absence was going to be permanent.

Felipe stood and indicated that they should all leave the cave and get some rest. They had been up at the crack of dawn to look for any signs of life and it was now well past dark. They all needed some rest.

Victoria reluctantly agreed and, holding Diego's journal close to her chest, followed Felipe out of the cave. Alejandro and Felipe watched as the young woman walked slowly toward Diego's bedroom. Neither of them tried to stop her as Alejandro followed, shut himself in his room and cried himself to sleep.

Victoria ran her hands over the soft white sheets, the warm, thick blanket, and slipped between them, covering herself to her neck. She clutched the journal tightly to her chest and buried her head in his pillow. Soon it became a basin for her tears as they spilled down her cheeks. It was a long while before she was able to fall into a fitful sleep.

Felipe buried his head in his pillow and soon, it too, was wet with the tears shed for the death of his best friend.

* * *

Sometime in the night, a black form stumbled through the cave entrance and collapsed into Tornado's hay. Diego rested there for a few minutes and then struggled up to his laboratory to boil some warm water to see if he could raise his temperature. He was freezing and could not keep his teeth from chattering as he boiled the mixture.

He dropped a few herbs into the water, and indian remedy, and sighed wearily. It would help him sleep as well.

He changed quickly out of his wet clothing and put on the clothing that was hanging on the rack. Curiously, his jacket was missing but maybe Felipe had taken it. He didn't give it another thought.

He drank the cactus tea and slumped into the chair at his desk.

_Need to get to bed,_ he thought as he held the edge of the desk to maintain his balance as he stood. He noticed that his journal was missing and resolved to ask Felipe about it in the morning.

In his haste to feel the warm comfort of his bed, he didn't even check the spy hole before he pushed the lever to open the secret door behind the fireplace. It was the middle of the night and no one was ever up this late.

Diego held the wall as he limped toward his room. A small candle was lit in the hallway and he found that strange but let it pass as the anticipated softness of his bed called to him. He clicked the door open quietly, so as not to wake his father, and slipped into the room. He locked the door behind him, not wanting to be interrupted in the morning before he had the chance to speak with Felipe.

He didn't notice the small lump in the bed as he gingerly slid between the covers. Just as his body relaxed into the softness of the mattress, the blanket beside him moved.

His breath caught in his chest as a slim form turned over in the bed and stared wide eyed at him.

Through the dim light in the room, Diego could see the shocking disbelief cross Victoria's eyes.

"Victoria!" He tried to stand but his injuries and weakened body screamed out in protest. He grimaced in pain and slid as far away from her in the bed as he could without falling out of it. _What was going on here? _His exhausted mind frantically sought for an explanation.

"Diego?" Victoria was instantly awake and he stared disbelievingly at her. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. She was not in a sleeping shift and she was holding his journal – the one from his laboratory – tightly against her chest.

She noticed his gaze sweep over her and stop at the journal she held. The cherished book replaced her on the bed as she slid out and dropped it onto the mattress. She moved to Diego's side of the bed and stared incredulously down at him.

"We thought you were dead. I saw you fall over the cliff. I thought –" She sobbed and fell into his arms.

He grimaced in pain but returned her embrace with the barest hint of hesitation. Some part of his conscious was relieved but another was worried that if Victoria knew, then his father and the whole pueblo probably knew as well. He worried that a price had been placed on his head and those he loved were in danger.

"Where are you hurt?" Victoria broke his embrace sooner than he would have liked and pulled the covers down his body. He grimaced as she accidentally hit his injured leg.

"I've fixed everything that can be done tonight," Diego said with a weak groan. He was exhausted and wanted to be left alone so he could sleep.

"Let me get Felipe and Don Alejandro." She started to stand when his hand gently encircled her wrist. "They will want to know –"

"Stay, please."

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. He took a deep breath and took her head in his hands and gently pressed his lips to hers. She shivered momentarily before she allowed him to pull her into the bed beside him. His lips covered her cheek, eyelids, nose, before sliding back to her inviting lips.

When he released her, she slid her head down to the hollow of his shoulder and sighed heavily. This wasn't the most proper of positions but she didn't care, and, so it appeared, neither did Diego.

In minutes, they were both fast asleep and did not wake until the startled gasp from Alejandro's lips roused them from their slumber.

TBC

**Thethirdtroll** – I understand about not having time. My beta reader (and the author of my favorite Zorro stories!) is back in school, teaching as well as taking a class, so I'm not getting my fixes of her writing as fast as I'd like!

This story might sound familiar to you. I wrote it about five years go. It may still be posted in its original form somewhere. The re-write will go up on my site as soon as I'm done posting it here.

You can beg until you're purple but no more LOTR stories until the muse returns from its vacation.

**WolfDaughter** – Thanks for the comments. There are some pretty major changes (from the original) in this story coming up. Hope you like the re-write!

**Beverly** – Of course, you can't skip this . . . there are some very different changes coming up from the first version you read a few years ago. I'll be doing this with all of my stories as I have time. I don't like any of my old ones anymore so they will all end up getting pretty heavy re-writes. This one turned out to need far more re-writing than I thought. So, now I'm afraid to go on to another old one!


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Diego sat stiffly in one of the large sofas a small smile spreading across his face as he carefully watched the reactions of those he loved, as he finished his narration detailing his secret life over the last seven years.

"And you couldn't trust me with this secret? In my own home?" Alejandro stared at his son, unable to truly be upset with the boy. He had his son back from the dead!

"Father –" Diego began as Felipe came in the door with doctor Hernandez.

Diego's eyes narrowed and he began to speak but was silenced by a wave of his father's hand. "Don't even **try** to protest, Diego."

Alejandro turned to the doctor and began to explain, "I'm sure you have heard the rumors that the alcalde's men killed Zorro last night." He paused while the doctor nodded.

"My son was injured badly last night as well," Alejandro did not directly say the two incidents were related but the tone of his voice implied that they were, "and I need your treatment of his injuries to be completely anonymous."

Doctor Hernandez's eyebrow raised as he glanced at Diego and then shot a look at Victoria, who sat as close to Diego as possible, clutching his hand.

"I –" The doctor began slowly, understanding dawning quickly, "believe I understand."

"He took a tumble off one of our new Andalucian's that he was training yesterday morning and has been in bed recovering ever since," Alejandro explained slowly.

The doctor nodded and stared at Diego as the injured man got slowly to his feet. He swayed and Victoria was beside him immediately, offering a steadying arm around his waist.

"Shall I examine you in your room?" Hernandez asked.

Diego nodded and led the doctor down the hallway.

A little while later, Diego was laying in bed with the covers tucked tightly around him.

"You need to stay in bed and rest. You are lucky that fall didn't kill you." Hernandez reprimanded, and a little quieter added, "and you are lucky you didn't drown when you hit the water."

Diego nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your help."

"This pueblo needs you, Diego," Hernandez smiled and turned to Alejandro. "Make sure this stubborn son of yours follows my instructions or I am going to break his other leg so he cannot walk at all."

Victoria chuckled and Felipe turned away to hide the smile that crept over his face.

"I will make sure he follows your instructions." Alejandro stared hard at his son and smiled.

* * *

Diego couldn't complain too badly about how he had spent the next two days – even though he had been confined to the hacienda by an adamant father and doctor. Victoria was staying at the hacienda and he had spent the better part of his confinement talking with her, revealing the feelings he had been forced to keep hidden for so long.

To his delight, she returned those feelings with equal enthusiasm and he knew that their days of separation were over. The only task ahead of them was how to deal with her feelings for Zorro.

The masked man's work was not finished, or Diego would simply let the rumor of Zorro's fall off the cliff at mesa verde be the end of the legend. The alcalde was still as oppressive as ever and Diego would continue to fight that oppression by whatever means available to him.

They sat outside, enjoying the cool autumn air, the soft fragrance of the garden – and a little privacy.

Diego learned from his father that those gold coins that he had found in the half-buried chest were indeed bound for the California Coast and for Junipero Serra. They were specially minted coins that were to be given to each presidio along the coast, indicating their affiliation with the Spanish Crown and the religion of the country. The coins were minted with the image of the king of Spain on one side and the image of the church on the other.

"I think maybe we should just leave them there. As a memorial for those who did not live through the crossing to deliver them to their intended destination." Diego said, after revealing to her what he'd discovered in the cavern.

"Why? The gold could do some good for the pueblo."

"The alcalde would just impound it and use it for his own means." Diego began. "**And **we would have to explain how we found it. That is just something I wish to avoid."

"Zorro could return with them." Victoria smiled, her eyes dancing.

"I was truly hoping that Zorro could remain dead. But the more I hear about what the alcalde has done in the last two days, the more I realize that his fight may never be over."

Victoria nodded sadly.

Diego turned and took her hands. "Can you settle for marrying me in his place?"

Victoria's eyes brightened. "Diego – Is this a proposal?"

Diego leaned back and grinned wickedly. "Oh, it was just a thought. Perhaps in a few months, when the people believe that you have given up your love for Zorro –"

"Yes!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

When they parted, long minutes later, Diego's eyes held a spark that electrified the air around them. "You can live with my riding as Zorro? The consequences if I was unmasked?"

"You know I will." She settled against his chest and drew his arms around her. "If it means we can finally be together."

"I can't help but think I am placing you in more danger than –"

"I am in no more danger by loving Diego de la Vega that I was when I loved Zorro." Victoria countered quickly.

"All right, then. We will work on transferring your love to boring old me."

Victoria leaned back and searched his face. "You could never be boring."

Diego grinned and pulled her into his arms, relishing their closeness.

"So, you will go back and get those coins?"

Diego sighed. She just wasn't going to give this up.

"Perhaps if you returned them to the King he would reward you – a new alcalde would be nice –," she chuckled against his chest, "for returning the lost coins to him."

Diego grinned but shook his head. "Victoria, the King of Spain is not in need of a few gold coins minted decades ago."

"Then return them to the presidios." Victoria said simply.

Diego stared down at her dark head. It _was_ that simple. "Zorro could deliver them to their original destinations. The parchment I found inside the chest probably indicated which locations were to receive the coins. I would need to find a way to prevent the water from touching it further. It was already barely readable when I found it."

Victoria lifted her head. "I think it's time to pay a visit to mesa verde. We have some history to dig out of the sand."

Diego tightened his arms around her shoulders. "You are not going out there alone and I am not strong enough to take you yet."

Victoria's eyes flashed. But she acquiesced – For the moment.

* * *

After a few peaceful days, De Soto leaned back in his chair, resting his feet casually on his desk, as Mendoza served him his mid-day meal. "Ah, feels so good to know that Zorro will not be interfering in my affairs any longer."

Mendoza didn't say a word. He had been sorry to see Zorro fall to his death at mesa verde and, quite honestly, wished the man had not died. He had been the only one keeping the alcalde from oppressing the people even more than he already did.

De Soto noticed Mendoza's reaction but let it pass. He was no fool. He knew the incompetent Sergeant had admired and respected Zorro. Even considered the masked man a friend.

"The poor señorita is so distraught over her lovers death that she's spent the last few days at the de la Vega hacienda, no doubt crying on Diego and Alejandro's shoulders." De Soto scowled at the thought. "Why, she'll probably be on the search for a husband in no time – now that that bandit is dead."

As De Soto took a bite of his tamale, an idea struck him. It was time the farmers and the landowners paid up on their overdue taxes. He had put off arresting all delinquents, but now, with Zorro gone, he could do so without fear of that masked nuisance interrupting his plans.

"Post a notice in the tavern and in all public places that if all taxes are not paid by noon tomorrow, I will confiscate all property," De Soto instructed Mendoza.

"But alcalde..."

"Do not question my authority Sergeant," de Soto glared. "Maybe you should write this down. I don't want you to forget anything."

Mendoza searched for a quill and some paper and began to scribble the alcalde's instructions.

"Well," De Soto raised his voice as the Sergeant stood there staring at the parchment, "what are you waiting for? Go post it!"

Mendoza hurried out of the office to complete his commandant's order all the while wondering what he had done in his poor life to deserve such a cruel superior officer.

* * *

Diego and Victoria rode out to mesa verde a few hours later. Diego knew he would not have been able to slip out of the hacienda unnoticed, not with her fawning over his recovery like a mother hen. They stopped a bit further down where the rocks were not as jagged and it would be easier to climb down the cliff.

Excited, Victoria dismounted her mare quickly and peered over the edge.

"Victoria!" Diego jumped quickly off Esperanza and ignored his injured body's protest at the swift movement.

"What is it about curiosity and woman!" Diego muttered as he reached for Victoria and pulled her away from the edge.

She turned to him, her eyes wide with unshed tears. "I can't believe you lived through that fall."

Diego enveloped her in his arms and whispered. "With such beauty for which to return, I would crawl back to you from the deepest depths of the world."

She lifted her head and he pulled her tightly against his chest after noticing the tears begin to well in her eyes.

"I love you." Diego captured her lips in a gentle caress but as she responded eagerly to his kiss, he groaned and deepened their connection, their mouths clinging for a long moment before parting.

Alejandro's eyes widened as he tore the parchment off the tavern door. He mounted Dulcinea and galloped toward home before anyone could stop him. Though none tried, several wondered where he was going in such a hurry with the alcalde's declaration.

"Probably to gather the caballeros," one of the tavern's patrons suggested. "They won't let the alcalde do this. Even if Zorro _is_ dead."

"Why would the rich bother to help us?" A peasant muttered. "These unfair taxes don't affect them."

"He's right," another peasant added. "As usual there's one set of rules for the rich and one for the rest of us."

"I think Don Alejandro will stand up to the alcalde this time. Especially if Zorro is dead."

"I hope you're right."

"Stay here," Diego ordered as he securely tied the rope around a nearby rock.

Victoria bristled at the command. "I'm going with you."

Diego sighed. He didn't want her climbing down the cliff and he certainly didn't want her swimming in the strong undercurrents of the water either.

"Please stay here, Querida. I don't want you to be injured."

"I can swim, Diego." Victoria countered with another glance out over the water. "The tide is low. It will be easier to find this cavern of yours."

"I would feel more comfortable if you stayed –"

"No." Her tone left no room for argument but Diego was adamant.

For the first time, the two of them stared at one another, carefully controlling their tempers as one warred for dominance over the other. Diego had never found himself in the position of arguing with his lady love and he found the heated emotion stimulating. He would enjoy their argument far more if it didn't have to do with something so dangerous.

"I will not be coddled like a child." Victoria fumed. "I am going with you."

"Victoria –"

"I am not your wife – yet. And if you would like me to be in the future, you will not control my decisions."

"I don't want to control you, Victoria," Diego sighed. "I only want to protect you."

Victoria moved forward and grasped the rope. "Then lets go."

Diego moved forward as she began to shuffle down the rope. "Let me show you how to do it. Please. I will go first and you can copy me."

She watched as he slowly maneuvered himself down the cliff and onto a rocky outcropping below. Victoria did surprisingly well as she climbed down and joined him at the bottom.

The waves crashed into the rocks, spraying them with salty water and Diego grasped her upper arms and pulled her away from the edge. "Be careful, one strong wave will knock you right into the water."

"Isn't that where we need to be to reach this cavern?"

"Well, yes. But I would rather us enter it on our own terms." He turned from her and glanced around, finally spotting the nearly covered, even at low tide, entrance to the cavern peeking out from the rolling ocean waves. He turned pleading eyes on Victoria. "Please let me go. Wait here for me?"

Victoria scowled. "No, I'm going with you."

"Please, Victoria. I don't know what I would do if something happened to –"

But she wasn't listening. She had caught sight of the entrance to the cavern as well and had made her way to the edge of the rock face on which they were standing. It wasn't far. Simply a few strokes in the water and she could reach it. Water sprayed around her body and she removed her outer garments and prepared to enter the water.

Diego shook his head at the strong willed woman's determination. "Victoria?"

She turned at his call and smiled at him. "Lets go. It doesn't look too –"

But a wave suddenly crashed into her legs, causing her to lose her already precarious balance on the moss-covered rock.

"Victoria!" Diego cried as she slid backwards into the water.

She reached for him, calling out his name, but was instantly swallowed by the rapidly deepening water as the tide began to rise.

"No!" Diego cried as he watched her body being swept away by the waves. Without thinking, and without concern for his own healing injuries, he leapt into the water hoping to catch her before the rough waves slammed her body up against the rocks.

TBC

**Aurelia30** – Yeah, I think the original version of this story is posted somewhere. I've taken it down from my site and will replace it with this one as soon as I finish it. This chapter has some changes, tho' the outcome ends up being the same.

**WolfDaughter** – Good Catch! I changed a few words and re-uploaded this chapter. The few days later, _should_ have gone where the alcalde was talking to Mendoza. I like this version far better as well. I'm going away in a few days for a week so I'll try and post the rest of this before then. Sorry, you'll just have to wait for Shattered Dreams . . . Yes, I'm mean and evil and, you know, I really love it that way :)


	5. Chapter 4 END

**Note**: Wolfdaughter caught a mistake in the timeline in the previous chapter. I've gone back and corrected it. So that chapter is slightly different than the one previously posted.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Diego struggled against the waves for a long time before he was able to grasp her arm. She was semi-conscious but she still had enough strength to wrap her arms around his neck. The waves worked against him as he tried to push and kick toward the rocky ledge they had just vacated.

Suddenly, he noticed the cavern that Victoria had been so desperately trying to reach and decided that he would swim towards it. Better that than let the waves pummel their bodies until they could no longer struggle against them.

Explaining to Victoria that she needed to hold her breath momentarily, he pulled them both under water and searched visually for the entrance. He found it easily, as the water had not completely covered the entrance yet, and they emerged seconds later into the mouth of the cavern.

Pulling her up to where the water could not reach even at its highest depth, he held her, muttering words of love and affection in her ear.

She coughed and spluttered, shivering as he held her tightly against his chest. "I'm sorry," she coughed before relaxing against him and closing her eyes, exhaustion grasping her in a relentless hold.

Diego held her tightly and let the frightened tension flow from his body as her breathing steadied and she fell into a deep, exhausted slumber.

* * *

Alejandro slammed the door and called for his son. When Diego didn't answer, he called for Victoria. Felipe came around the corner and signed that they had gone to mesa verde to search for the cavern Diego had discovered when he had slid down the cliff.

The boy had a wide smile on his face, and added that since they'd been gone for so long, they probably decided to take a picnic meal with them.

"It's almost dinner time. What are they doing out so late?" Alejandro muttered, annoyed that his son would be out when he was needed the most. Then the older man laughed, shaking his head. "All the years I've wanted him to be out courting a lady, the one time I find that is exactly what he _is_ doing, I'm upset with him."

Alejandro sighed and told Felipe about the alcalde's plans. As much as he didn't want to interrupt whatever plans Diego and Victoria had made, they needed to come back to the hacienda. Someone needed to stop the alcalde.

"Yes, Felipe. All taxes are due at noon and those who do not pay will be rounded up and arrested – or worse."

Alejandro slumped into a plush chair. "Now is **not** the time for Diego to be out with Victoria. Zorro is needed and –" Alejandro regarded Felipe with a hard stare. "And what about Diego's injuries? He shouldn't be out there. It's too soon." If the situation weren't so dire, Alejandro would have simply left his hard-headed son to his own foolish decisions and simply tell the man when he returned it was his own fault for exerting himself too much before he was fully healed.

Alejandro instantly stopped his tirade. No, perhaps it wasn't Zorro who needed to put a stop to the alcalde's plans. Perhaps it was the people themselves who needed to do something. "Ride out to mesa verde, Felipe. Tell Diego what's going on. I'm going back to the plaza to see if I can stop this somehow."

* * *

Untold hours later, Victoria awoke and clung tightly to Diego's bare chest. He had removed his shirt so that he wouldn't catch a chill in the damp, cold cavern. She closed her eyes and delighted in the feel of the firm chest beneath her cheek.

He tightened his arms around her and whispered, "Do you hurt? Tell me if you feel any pain."

"Only to my pride," she murmured.

"Victoria, this was a foolish thing to do."

She lifted her eyes and stared at him. "Being right is an annoying trait you seem to have. Please don't be right too often."

Diego chuckled, in spite of himself.

"Well, I did make it into this cave whether it was the way I intended or not." She lifted her head from his chest and squinted, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Diego had to admit to himself that he admired her courage and determination. Not many women would have willingly put themselves into such a situation.

"There it is!" Victoria pointed at the chest and crawled over to where Diego had moved it further out of the path of the water. Diego followed as Victoria opened the lid and began searching through the contents. She shoved musty priests robes to the side and glanced at the relatively sparse contents. Finally finding what she was looking for, she took one of the small gold coins out of the smaller chest and turned it over in her hand. The dim light in the cavern made it hard to make out the image but she could see what Diego had described etched onto the surface of the coin. "It's beautiful."

"But not worth dying for, Victoria," Diego said softly and she turned around to face him, her eyes suddenly soft.

"No," she reached up to cup his cheek, "It's not."

He embraced her tightly, "I could have lost the one and only thing in this world worth living for, today, Querida. Nothing is worth the risk to your life. Nothing is worth losing you."

Her eyes misted at his heartfelt admission and she lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. The tenderness and love she found there overwhelmed her.

He pressed his lips to hers as if to remind himself that she was still very much alive and not lost to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, delighting in the feel of his mouth on hers. He leaned back against the chest, pulling her slim body with him. His gentle touch, the slow circles his hands absently made against her back, caused a rush of heat to flood her body

He felt the same desire spread through his blood and he reluctantly pulled his mouth away, breathing heavily. He glanced down at their bodies, the clothes clinging to them like a second skin, and then glanced away sharply.

"We may be stuck here until the tide lowers."

She caught her breath and asked, "How long will that be."

Diego got to his feet and went over to examine the entrance to the cavern. The water had risen considerably since they arrived. "Maybe morning. Or at the very latest, sunset."

Victoria sighed and opened her arms. "Then come back here and keep me warm."

Diego groaned and glanced down at his already very tight trousers. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea, Victoria."

"Why?"

Diego turned slowly and couldn't stop his gaze as it swept over her blouse, clinging wetly to her chest. Her desire was quite evident and Victoria glanced down, her eyes widening at his frank appraisal. She covered her chest with her arms and shivered. "You'll let me freeze rather than give in to a little desire?"

Diego choked back a laugh and returned to her side, unable to see her trembling right in front of him if he had some means to stop it. "A – little desire?" He gathered her into his arms and kissed her temple. "When it comes to you, I have considerably more than a little desire."

* * *

Felipe looked around the area nervously. The sun was setting behind the vast ocean and it was getting much harder to see. Victoria and Diego's horses were calmly munching on some green leaves but their riders were nowhere to be seen.

He leaned over the side of the cliff, looking down the steep incline for any sign of his friends. He noticed the rope they had used to climb down the slope but there was no sign of them anywhere. He decided to climb down the side of the cliff himself, hoping that the closer he got to the water, the better chance he would have to see them, or at least this underwater cavern.

Felipe hoped that Diego and Victoria were inside the cavern and simply waiting for the tide to lower. Felipe didn't want to think about any other possibilities.

* * *

"We need to get out of here," Diego said, staring at the pool of water at their feet. "I don't want to wait and see how much further the water will rise. And we need to get you home to a soft mattress and a warm bed."

Victoria was too cold to protest. She shivered beside Diego and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Take a deep breath and hold on. Don't let go of me, understand?" At Victoria's nod, he continued. "Let me get us to the surface. Just hold on to me."

"You will come back later and get the coins?"

Diego nodded, took a deep breath and dove into the water, a trembling Victoria's arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Felipe exhaled a relieved breath when he noticed two heads pop out from the water to his right. He gathered the remainder of the rope at his feet and threw it to Diego, who immediately wrapped it around himself. The waves pushed their bodies toward the rocks but the rope held fast, preventing a painful collision.

"Felipe?" Diego helped Victoria out of the water and quickly moved out of the path of the crashing waves. "What are you doing here?"

Diego looked at himself, Victoria and the darkening sky and chuckled, "I guess you got worried when we didn't come back hours ago, hmm?"

Felipe nodded and began to sign rapidly. He explained everything and Diego translated for Victoria.

"Looks like its time for Zorro to make his miraculous reappearance."

Still clinging to her beloved, Victoria closed her eyes as Diego climbed back up the cliff. Without a hesitant step, he lifted Victoria over Esperanza's saddle and swung in behind her, cradling her against his chest for warmth.

As they galloped across the mesa toward home, Victoria hugged Diego tightly. If the alcalde could have only behaved himself they could be rid of Zorro forever and start their own lives – together.

* * *

When they arrived at the hacienda, Alejandro was pacing nervously. His eyes widened when Diego came through the front door carrying a very wet and very cold Victoria.

"What happened?"

"She's deathly chilled. We need to get her warm," Diego answered and carried her down the hallway to the guest room she had been using.

A housemaid followed, chittering animatedly at Diego for Victoria's distressed state. When he lay her on the bed, the housemaid pushed him forcefully out of the room as another maid arrived to divest Victoria of her wet clothes and dress her in something warm.

Alejandro grabbed his son's arm and pulled him into his own bedroom, muttering, "You're just as wet and cold as Victoria. Get out of those clothes." Alejandro turned and pulled a nightshirt and trousers out of Diego's drawers as the younger man quickly deposited his wet clothing on the floor at his feet.

He shivered as he put on the warm clothes and then wrapped his dressing gown tightly around his body.

"Into bed. Now." Alejandro demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We can talk while you warm up."

A maid came in and immediately placed some warm bricks at the foot of the bed, which would heat the bed much quicker.

Diego muttered and grumbled, questioning the maids that hurried in and out of the room about Victoria but none of them answered her. The last one who brought him a bowl of warm soup, he questioned with such a stern tone that she was frozen in place unable to answer him.

Alejandro dismissed the girl with a pat on the back and then promised Diego he would go check on Victoria after the maid's had finished with her.

In the meantime, Alejandro filled Diego in on the alcalde's plans, which only agitated the younger man more.

"You will rest here and hope you don't come down with a cold! I will go check on Victoria."

* * *

"Sergeant, why have you not arrested those who have not paid their taxes?" De Soto demanded, the next morning.

"Mí alcalde, the people have no money to pay their taxes," Mendoza answered truthfully. "This years harvest has been poor and –"

"Then they need to find other ways to pay their taxes." De Soto scowled and added, "I want you to arrest the people on this list and I want them brought here immediately!"

"What would you have them do, alcalde" Alejandro demanded, "resort to illegal means to pay your unfair taxes?"

De Soto glared at Alejandro. That man was too much of a nuisance and he needed to find a way to rid himself of de la Vega's constant outspoken attempts to undermine his authority.

"If you incite these people to riot, I will string you up for treason."

"I will not incite these people to do anything. They are capable of making their own decisions." Alejandro drew himself to his full height and hoped that he could gather enough support from the caballeros so Zorro's help would not be needed. It had been hard enough to convince Diego to remain in bed, and he only did so with Alejandro's promise to send word if Zorro was needed.

Felipe nodded to Alejandro and disappeared into the crowd, hoping that he was not seen and could get out of the pueblo quickly.

"Alejandro, get out of the way!" De Soto ordered as he unsheathed his saber and ordered his lancers to do the same.

"We can't let you do this, alcalde," Alejandro unsheathed his own weapon and stood in a defensive position. He would not be the first to move against the alcalde, but he would be ready should the alcalde order his lancers to attempt to subdue the uprising.

"You will be placed under arrest for obstruction of justice and sent back to Spain for treason," De Soto seethed, "how dare you interfere."

"The caballeros should have interfered long ago. This pueblo belongs to the people who have bled and died for this land. You have no right to take it from them." Alejandro took a breath and continued. It was clear the caballeros would not be willing to provide the resistance necessary to keep de Soto from arresting the poor farmers. He hoped he was buying enough time for Zorro to get here. As much as he hated to admit it, his son's ruse had been effective. Zorro had given the people hope where they had none.

"The people of Spain are not taxed nearly as much as this small colonial outpost. You cannot fund the entire Spanish army with one small pueblo. However, I wonder, how much of these taxes actually make it back to Spain and how much make it into your very deep pockets!"

De Soto's nostrils flared. He was not going to let this insufferable caballero speak to him in this way. Prominent member of the community or not, de la Vega must be silenced.

"Lancers, place Don Alejandro, and anyone else who interferes with these proceedings, under arrest," De Soto ordered and lancers began to slowly file toward the well- respected caballero.

Alejandro backed away and exchanged looks with his fellow caballeros. A few nodded in support, and, in one fluid motion, drew their blades and stood in defense, ready to stop the procession of lancers from arresting their friend.

De Soto's eyes widened. "You are all under arrest for treason!" He turned to his lancers and ordered, "use force if necessary but I want all who resist in my jail now!"

The lancers hesitated as de Soto continued to issue orders. Some raised their rifles, others hesitated, loathe to harm the wealthy caballeros.

Before much more could be done, the familiar sound of a cracking whip drew their attention.

The people murmured Zorro's name and looked around the crowded plaza. They didn't understand how he could be alive after the alcalde had provided a torn cape and hat, as well as multiple witnesses, as proof of his death.

"Hello good people!" Zorro called from where he stood a few feet away from the startled lancers. With arms outstretched, he shouted. "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated!"

"Kill him!" De Soto shouted.

Alejandro's heart lurched. He could very well have just sent for his son to come to his death.

Small smoking containers were thrown at the lancers feet and as they landed, they exploded with a spark and eruption of thick, white smoke, which sent the lancers into fits of coughing and sneezing. The lancers quickly scattered, leaving the alcalde to carry out his orders alone.

De Soto advanced on the masked man and lunged. A good, well executed lunge but a little slow when one's opponent was the best swordsman in the colonies. The masked man dodged it with ease.

The duel took an astonishingly long time to complete, with Zorro simply parrying every move the alcalde threw at him. Time and time again, Zorro knocked the alcalde's blade out of line, opening his torso to very painful repost should the masked man choose to take such advantage.

"If I wanted to kill you, alcalde, " Zorro parried a high swing and parried low, causing the alcalde to loose his balance in an effort to retreat quickly, "you would already be dead."

"What is stopping you?" An exasperated alcalde cut low and to the side, trying to catch the masked man in a vulnerable position. His attempt failed, and resulted in Zorro parrying the blade to the side and quickly reposting with such force that de Soto's blade went flying from his hands.

"Because I am not fond of killing. I believe there is good in every man, no matter how deeply hidden." Zorro held his blade to the alcalde's throat. "Now trouble these poor farmers again and I may just be tempted to carve a few holes into your flesh to see if I can find that good buried inside of you."

De Soto chuckled as Zorro deftly sliced through the ropes holding the alcalde's prisoners. "Go, my friends."

The crowd cheered and the peasants hurried out of the alcalde's sight.

"I will have your head," de Soto gained his feet and retrieved his sword.

Zorro cocked his head and smirked. "To have my head, you'll need to catch the rest of me. And we all know what a challenge that has been for you over the years."

"I will find a way." De Soto growled as Zorro whistled for Toronado.

"One last warning, alcalde." Zorro raised his voice as he mounted his faithful horse. "Mend your ways or the next time you trouble the residents of this pueblo with unfair taxation, you may find yourself sailing back to Spain in a pine box!" With a quick flick of his wrist, he carved a Z in the alcalde's pristine uniform and struck him with a backhand that left him unconscious on the ground.

Alejandro heaved a very visible, to anyone who thought to look, sigh of relief. He smiled proudly at his son as the crowd cheered again. Zorro pressed a gloved hand to his lips in salute before racing out of the pueblo.

The lancers struggled to help the alcalde rather than chase the masked man and his angry voice could be heard throughout the plaza as Zorro and Toronado raced away to the safety and comfort of the de la Vega hacienda – and its adjoining cave.

END


End file.
